Correction 1/14/11: The researchers don’t explain how the equipment works and what went into its development, rather, researchers explain to the sttudents how the patents are innovative and the value the patent offers. Researchers don’t explain how patents are applied in a classified military setting.

MBA student Angela Miller starts every project studying. For a day or two, Miller studies a patent for a unique military technology. She reads over the documents, researching unfamiliar technical terms.

“Patents are usually very general,” Miller said. “Part of the research is clarifying the patent.”

After the patent has been thoroughly combed over, Miller starts thinking of different uses for the technology. Whether she looks at night vision goggles, demolition charges or infrared scopes, Miller searches for civilian applications of military hardware.

The initial research process does not last long, and after a couple days Miller, along with fellow MBA student Jonathan Rietman, finally journeys to the naval base.

Once Miller makes the two-hour drive to NSWC Crane, she meets with the military researchers and developers who designed the particular patented technology.

The researchers explain how the equipment works and what went into its development. They put the patent into layman’s terms for the students.

Miller has been through the process four times now, and she said the researchers can be slightly hard to work with.

“Some of them can be really resistant to this business translation process,” Miller said. “Two out of four have been like this. I think the only reason the other two weren’t is because they had been through this process before.”

The meeting with researchers last about three hours. Afterwards, Miller and Rietman try to complete outlines for the business translation.

After all of this is complete, the ideas of Miller and Rietman are graded by the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville (GAGE) and given a score based on the marketability of the ideas.

GAGE then decides what happens to the patent from there, and Miller and Rietman wait for the next high-tech equipment to market.